The present invention concerns an anchoring device capable of maintaining beneath a determined site, and for long periods of time, a floating installation on the surface of the water, such as a petroleum production floating installation, a barge, a floating landing stage, a charging/discharging buoy, etc. . . .
The anchors with which the floating installation is connected by anchoring lines constitute one of the means for maintaining in position the floating installation. The actual tendency at present being to employ floating installations of dimensions which are larger and larger, it has become necessary to deploy anchoring devices which are more and more powerful, capable of opposing forces applied onto the floating installation and due essentially to the action of the wind, the waves, the swell, the marine currents, etc. . . .
One of the means for augmenting the power of the anchorage consists of utilizing anchors of dimensions and masses which are quite large. This solution is not entirely satisfactory. It is known in effect that the efficiency of anchors does not increase proportionally to their mass, with the result that the obtaining of very high capacities points in the direction of making anchors which are excessively heavy and difficult to handle.
Another means of augmenting the anchoring power is to adopt an anchor structure favorable to the penetration and the burying of the anchor in the sea floor. The solutions of this type are described in French Pat. Nos. 2,366,987 and 2,082,722, Netherlands Pat. No. 7,414,536, European Pat. No. 24,221 and German Pat. No. 242,975.